The Bitter Sweet Quest
by HummingEnigma312
Summary: James San Angelo, rank and file of the Twelfth Legion is given a quest far from home: an escort quest to ensure the peace between the Romans and Greeks. Disgraced on more than one occasion, James will do all in his power to protect and complete his quest. However, he never expected the curve. A quirky Greek and the difficult "package" to handle with care. (OCs, suggestive, violent)
1. A Light Shining in The Dark

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, nor the continuous series. I'm just a guy who likes to write and subvert everything you know about literature and secretly vent his frustrations about life as a whole.**_

**Chapter 1. Brave New World**

_"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." -Plato_**  
**

When he first saw her, James was utterly astounding such a mouth could come from something so small.

It was a spring morning when he arrived at the Greek camp. He stood warily at the dividing border outwardly calm but inwardly apprehensive. He wasn't given this assignment to succeed. He was given it to complete or die trying. He had a feeling Octavian was hoping for the later. The hope wasn't without merit. James felt the punishment matched the crime. In undergoing sentry duty of Second Cohort's barracks, he'd fallen asleep. It didn't matter how hard he worked or how tired he felt, he'd betrayed the trust of every member of his cohort.

There he was again, on a tangent. His quest needed focus, not self-pity. What was done was done.

The marble archway was inscribed with Greek and James eyed it with interest. Greek was alien to him. The characters were oddly shaped, in some cases like an oriental styling; others just didn't coincide with their phonetic counterparts. That was language, a series of sounds relating to ideas.

James chewed the side of his cheek and cautiously entered the archway. He half expected some kind of barrier to prevent his entrance but he entered unopposed. He walked down the hill, his gear jingled slightly as he did. The journey here was a simple one. However, the journey back would be the difficult part, exponentially if memory served correct; the more powerful the scent, the high chance of encountering monsters or other unsavory characters.

Like the praetor said, a freestanding marble clad house was at the base of the hill, accompanied by the scent of strawberries. James frowned, he much preferred the smell of grapes. Across from the house was a large pavilion and further down that was a ground level amphitheatre. Surrounding the amphitheatre was a collection of cabins some old and some new and all of them were stylized differently. James made a mental note to ask about them.

A cursory glance also brought the sight of a basketball court in use. James seriously resisted the urge to run over and play. Free time at Camp Jupiter was spent cleaning or organizing. The more James thought about it, he realized he'd never seen a basketball at Camp Jupiter, let alone a court. There may have been one in New Rome but he never bothered to check. A week away from home really made him think.

"Hey Roman!" someone shouted.

By instinct, James turned and put his hand to his weapon. As he turned to the sound of the voice he felt slightly abashed. It was a girl, maybe his age, holding bouquet of flowers, standing about 30 feet away from him. She was wearing a long, earth-brown apron over an orange shirt and beige shorts. She was evenly tanned as if she spent a fair amount of time outdoors. Her eyes were a warm shade of brown with maybe a tinge of red. She had her hair up in a bun but a few curls were loose. Her smile was kind and she seemed at ease if not amused.

"At ease soldier!" she laughed. "No need to draw."

"Sorry," James said removing his hand from his weapon. "I'm kinda new here."

"I can tell," the girl shook her head.

She closed the distance between them, tucked the flowers into her apron and held out her hand. James hesitated.

"I don't bite," she rolled her eyes. "I'm April. Cabot, if that means anything. Daughter of Demeter."

"James San Angelo," he replied shaking her hand. "Soldier of the Twelfth Legion, Second Cohort."

"Ah," April's eyes lit up. "You're early. We didn't expect you until sunset."

"It's noon," he noted. "Wait, did you say 'we'? What do you mean?"

"You know why you're here right?"

"Of course, I'm-"

"Nope," April put a finger to her lips, "Not now. I've still got work to do."

"Er, sorry," James played with the band around his wrist. It was mostly leather and a blue Celtic cross hug at the end.

"No manners," she teased, "Will you at least take me to dinner before you whisk me away?"

Confused and partially dumbfounded, James furrowed his brow and tilted his head.

"Nothing, don't worry your little, Roman head. Dinner's on me."

April raised an eyebrow and started towards the lake. James resisted the urge to follow her and simply stood his ground more confused than before. He watched the girl walk down to the docks and disappear over a hill behind some cabins.

"Enjoying the view?"

Slightly startled, James managed not to touch his weapon.

"Hello." A man in a wheel chair greeted him. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Chiron."

"Sir," James gave a standard legionnaire salute. "Not a problem."

Chiron eyed the legionary with interest and frowned. The frown worried James but it was soon replaced with a grand smile like a grandfather seeing their grandchild after a long period or a teacher meeting their favorite pupil.

"Well come inside the Big House, you're our guest for the remainder of the day. We'll discuss your quest later."

"Yes sir," James nodded and followed Chiron into the Big House.

When he had settled most quirks with Chiron, James was given free rein to explore Camp Half-Blood. Chiron assured him his gear would be safe, as long as no one from Hermes cabin was allowed inside. At first he thought Chiron was joking but the seriousness on his face begged to differ. With that James walked out the Big House feeling considerately lighter.

As he walked around the camp, he noticed there was no lack of activity. Instead of constant drilling and shouting, there was forging, singing, tending. It was cool to watch but secretly he wondered how they fought. From what he heard, they fought like heroes, not soldiers. That was fine by him.

Further exploration showed his the actual size of the camp. It took some scouting and climbing a tree by the forest. The lake was much larger than it seemed, like the size of an airfield, and it had a smaller island on its interior. Unfortunately, James left his binoculars with his gear but the view was still astounding. The collection of cabins below him was also an interesting sight. It started out as a U-shape but quickly evolved into a village like complex with its own chaotic order. It both drove James wild and intrigued him.

As he climbed down, so did the sun.

The sound of a horn denoted dinner, James only accepted this when he saw clumps of campers walking towards the pavilion. James waited at the edge of the forest and simply watched. This was their home, not his.

"Not going to dinner?"

The interruption was so sudden, James couldn't help himself. Training kicked in and James moved in a rehearsed move. He naturally turned towards the sound, put his forearm to about neck height and tripped the intruder. It caused him and the unfortunate victim to fall to the grass, all of James's body weight on their neck. It was a tried and true method but it was not unfaultable. Somehow, the intruder had worked James's arm past their neck so that his right arm was jutting out at an awkward angle. This also brought his face closer to the intruder.

"Usually, I'm on top, but I'll make an exception for you." April's brown eyes twinkled and James noticed the scent of freshly tilled soil. Despite being pressed into the Earth she seemed rather amiable.

"Crap, sorry," James hoped his blush would be hidden by the shadows. He quickly jumped to his feet and helped her up. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same," April brushed herself off. "How'd you do that?"

"Do what?" James stalked off, trying to shake his embarrassment.

"That move," she clarified, "Might be useful on future dates."

He stopped suddenly and turned. A strained, confused smile crept onto his face and an unasked question lingered in his eyes. April simply shrugged and answered with a lopsided smile. She walked towards James and looped her arm around his right arm, pulling him along towards the pavilion.

"Come on Roman," she said, "Dinner is non-negotiable."

"You know you're crazy right?"

"Rather be crazy than boring," she clucked, "You and your rules, drills, and 'war games'. You're just a silly boy trying to play soldier."

"I am a soldier," he replied indignant, "Don't you have flowers to water?"

"Watch it tin boy," April warned. "You make fun of my flowers, I break your ugly armor."

"Armour's not supposed to be pretty."

"We'll change that."

"No we won't."

"Don't argue with me," April pushed him playfully, "I won't let you hear the end of it on the road."

"What?"

"You think you're doing this quest alone? You're egotistical as well as slow." April laughed and pinched James' cheek. "I'll keep you in check. No, but seriously. I'm your partner, you're escort. Do with me what you want. I am yours until you ,and I, are finished."

James cringed but laughed regardless. She just wouldn't lay off with the advances but did so in the most awkward and silly ways.

"There we go," April grinned, "That stupid facade of yours has to go. I can't stand guys like that; all tough and stoic. Do they raise all Roman boys like you?"

"Has anyone told you that you talk too much?"

"All my siblings actually, thank you for being insensitive." April frowned and gave James a hurt look.

James' eyes widened and he looked away. When he dared to look back, April had that lop-sided smile again. It drove him nuts. She was just a collection of messy thoughts and audacious words and mixed messages.

"I'm messing with you," she said as if was obvious. "Trying to loosen you up."

"I'm fine," James sighed. "You're the…"

He trailed as April gave him a look. "Don't finish that. I will hurt you."

"Fair enough," James said, "I just can't believe they picked you for this quest."

"They didn't," April shook her head, "I volunteered."

James raised an eyebrow, "You volunteered for a quest hundreds of miles from your home, through monster infested states, and up a mountain range to the most secluded village in all of the US? You volunteered for that?"

April's eyes soon took a dangerous glint. "One does not simply say no to an adventure."

"That was a horrible impression." James decided to humor her, when in Greece, do as the Grecian.

"Spoilsport." April grumbled but suddenly got a bright. "Last one to the pavilion carries the gear."

Before he could utter 'what?', James was suddenly pushed to the ground. He watched as April ran off without him, turning around momentarily to taunt him. Rolling his eyes, James got to his feet and made a mad dash to catch up. She was being silly but he didn't mind. New people meant new experiences. Hopefully, in this case, new didn't mean dangerous.

* * *

"Is it like this all the time?" James asked apprehensively sitting in the back with April.

He willingly followed her to the sing-a-long campfire. These Greeks were as weird as they were happy, that is to say very. Obviously, it was the Apollo campers leading the songs and they chose only the top 10 pop songs save for a few Beatles songs. The only one James recognized was "Let It Be" and he only knew the opening of that. It was a commodity to say the least. In his defense, he was not uncultured in music; time was just a limiting factor.

"Sure, more or less," April answered in between the chorus and next verse.

She was an average singer but she enjoyed herself. James suppressed a smile as he watched her really get into it. April caught this and rolled her eyes. James let his smile go and shrugged.

"You sure you're ready for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Of course," April said, "Oh, wait. You haven't met her yet. You wanna met her, before you we call it a night?"

"She's awake?"

"Probably not," April admitted, "But it wouldn't hurt. Come on."

Again, without waiting for his response, April shot off pushing through a few people. James paused for a moment but decided to follow. Although it was dark, the camp was surprisingly lit by torches and moonlight. April was walking purposefully towards a cabin. It was slightly out of the ways form U-aligned cabins tucked just between a cabin with a greenhouse and one made of sandstone.

"Why are they cabins so…?" James asked catching up.

"Different gods having different duties, each cabin represents a god and their children."

"Oh," it dawned on James, "When you said your siblings…"

"My siblings on my godly side, yes. It's funny when you think of it that way but it's whatever. Family is family."

"That's your cabin?" James asked casting his eyes at the cabin with a greenhouse.

"Correct," April beamed, "Looks like all that military drilling didn't dull the obvious stuff."

"That sentence didn't make sense."

"It's a compliment Roman, mind your manners."

"My manners are fine," James huffed. "Where are we going?"

"We're here," April said in a hushed tone. They were at the door of the cabin and April peered through a window.

"Are we allowed inside?"

"No," April said opening the door. "What is it with you and rules?"

James almost cried out when April invited herself into the cabin. Curiosity beat out reluctance and James followed her inside.

The cabin was wondrous. It reminded James of the lodges up in Colorado, the ceilings were high with beams crossing the horizontal and the very division felt like a small house. Even the hanging lights seemed authentic but one could surely see fireflies dancing around upside down glass bowls. As April and James walked under it, the fireflies flew out and hovered around them.

"They don't bite," April teased when she saw James' eyes widened.

"We should get out of here," James warned.

"Don't worry," April said, "I've been here before. Trust me."

April pushed open a door and walked though. Her fireflies stayed behind and floated back to the hanging lights. James hesitated again. If he got caught here, he didn't know what the punishment would be. That worried him. He felt safe in knowing the stakes. No matter how dire things could get as long as he had the reference he could deal with it. Taking a breath, he passed the threshold and was met by a beautiful sight.

The room he had entered was even dimmer than the last and it was noticeably warmer. Only one light illuminated the room and its dark oaky walls. On the floor, a large rug made of bear skin covered the hard wood and damped James' footfalls. In the corner of the room, a nightstand lay with a bag on top of it. To James' immediate right, April was standing still with a smile on her face and for once quiet.

Feeling his heart pounding in his chest, James walked over to stand beside April and he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. It was hard not to. They were standing beside one of the most beautiful sights in the world. James had huge expectations for this moment but none would compare to the immense weight he felt on his chest right then.

"What's her name?" James asked quietly.

"Emma, Emma Harper." April answered not turning. "Daughter of Eupheme."

Emma Harper was a small delightful baby. She was swaddled in a sandy gold blanket and laying on her back. She had small tufts of light brown hair and every now and then, she throw her balled fists around as if moving around in her dream or the baby equivalent. It was such a momentous sight, James felt his heart throb harder than usual.

James felt a sudden bubbling of anger in his chest. How someone could abandon a baby was beyond him. How heartless or hopeless this man was, James hoped he was judged swiftly in the Underworld. He stopped himself. It wasn't his place to judge. There could have been a multitude of reason; all that mattered was the quest. He had to do what was best for this little girl. If that meant trekking half-way across the continental US to her mother, than pain or death, he'd go any distance to do this.

He took a cursory glance to April, maybe to judge her condition or maybe to find assurance of equal zeal. She looked as moved as him. Her smile was warm and her eyes seemed on the verge of something. She was biting her bottom lip and her smile came and went like the wind. She was worried. For all the bluster she put ,she was worried. At his core, so was James. If he was ever asked, that was the only reason he tapped her on the shoulder.

He only wanted to assure her he would do everything in his power to get Emma there and keep her safe. Instead, April grabbed his arm and leaned on him slightly.

"We should go," James whispered. "She might wake up if we stay too long."

"What?" April replied. "Yeah, let's go." She let go of his arm awkwardly and turned to Emma as they left the room. "Goodnight."

* * *

**Author's Note: So, I realize my skills are a tad rusty. I promise they'll get better as I go and updates will be scheduled, soon. I just don't wanna bite off more than I can chew. I decided to make an expansive story not using main characters save the necessary ones. I know it's different but it allows you (the reader) and I ( the wordsmith) to explore a new world with new character in a familiar light. It's a basic storyline but I hope you stick around.**

**Just for reference, I'll name them later. The best weapons are always named:**

**James San Angelo**

**Weapon: Winged Spear (Imperial Gold) and Rigging Knife (Tungsten Alloy)**

**April Cabot:**

**Weapon: Rapier (Celestial Bronze)**

**Author's Commentary: This is where I tell you everything I thought as I wrote this. You'd be surprised at what I meant and what I wrote. First off, it's going to start rough, that's a given. James is a fun character because 1) He's Hispanic (Represent) 2)He's Roman 3)He's a wild card. Basically, I've shown you the three main characters: James, April, and Emma. Obviously, James is a tad uptight but not a total stick in the mud. April is girl who isn't prone to reliance (or is she) and is completely (read mostly) confident in who she is. Or she's rather good at hiding it. Also, yes, the innuendos were necessary. (Character Progression SPOILER: Her advances are simply mental projections of how she feels unloved. SPOILER END). Lastly, we have Emma. Another wild card and daughter of Eupheme. Why are they taking her to her mother…remember, immortal doesn't mean undying. It just means their more resilient.**


	2. Setting Off

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, nor the continuous series. I'm just a guy who likes to write and subvert everything you know about literature.**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Setting Off**

_"Each day provides its own gifts" -Marcus Aurelius_

James stood in the ticket line of Grand Central Station with a mixture of anticipation and awe. Despite the crowded halls and congested lines the vastness was still supreme. The air didn't feel stuffy or stale. It felt rather pleasant and fresh. The smell of the restaurants downstairs wafted through the stations and James was sure he smelled pasta or tamales. There were similar smells to him, homey smells to be exact.

The constant clatter and chatter was more reassuring than he first thought. In actuality, James wasn't a people person but safety in numbers was a mantra not easily abandoned. He hoped that would be the case if things went sideways.

Therein laid the problem with his quest, he was running blind. Almost every operation of the Twelfth had logistical support and good leader foresight. James knew he wasn't a good leader. He was just a grunt. Anytime he tried to lead would end in disaster. Even something as simple as commanding a battle group during the war games ended with failure. "Black Sheep of the Second" was what they called him.

That wasn't to say James was completely inept. He was a good fighter and an excellent medic. He just couldn't keep up. His stamina would drain quicker than the other members of his cohort and he'd grow sluggish. Any weakness in the Legion was rectified with swift punishment and increased training. There was no "taking it easy" in the Twelfth. You were either up to snuff or pushed down to stable duty.

"Proxima!" the ticket attendant called.

James blinked for a moment and frowned. It was odd to hear a different dialect of Spanish.

"I'm sorry," James replied. "Can I get two tickets for Des Moines?"

"I'm sorry sir," the attendant replied flatly, "No lines to Des Moines this week. There's been a polar vortex ripping up and icing out most of the Midwest."

"Er," James stalled. He wasn't expecting that. He thought of ever complication but train delays. "What's the closest you can get me?"

The attendant sighed and looked at his monitor. "Chicago, leaving in half an hour."

"Good enough," James frowned paying for the tickets.

He walked back to April and Emma slowly as he scanned the concourse once again. April was sitting on a bench with Emma in a carrier. April was wearing a backpack with spare supplies and extra clothes. On her left was a baby bag filled with the essentials; wipes, diapers, clothes, powder, blankets, and formula. April's bun was substituted for a pony tail and she was wearing a grey jacket over her shirt zipped all the way up. This however seemed at odds with the fact she was wearing shorts but all weather was jacket weather. She was watching Emma intently with a small smile on her face.

Emma had woken up earlier when Argus drove the two of them to the station. Now however, she was fast asleep. Despite the sheer noise that surrounded them, Emma seemed content to sleep. James allowed small breath of relief to be expelled. As cute as babies were, he wasn't quite sure how to react if Emma were to suddenly cry or if they were to be attacked.

That also worried James. He didn't know who would be hunting for them. He just knew a fight was inevitable. Their Scent was now something noticeable. James resigned himself to be paranoid when he mistook the sound of horse patrols outside for centaurs. NYC was notorious for their mounted policemen of doom. April assured him most centaurs were friendly anyway but he highly doubted that. Centaurs out West were as friendly as gorgons.

"All set?" April asked with genuine smile.

"More or less," James explained the delay.

"Oh," April simply shrugged. "I guess that's fine. It's not a race. We just need to get little Emma home, right?"

"Of course," James put his hands into his pocket, "But there's more unknowns. More chances to get into a fight."

"I'm aware," April raised an eyebrow, "Are you questioning if I can fight?"

The thought has crossed his mind from time to time and he eyed the weapon at April's hip with a silent answer. Her sword hung there plain as daylight but the mortals didn't seem to notice. They probably though it was chain or something. He didn't know, the Mist worked in mysterious ways.

"Yes," he replied honestly. "Either way, I know you'll protect Emma and that's good enough for me."

"Thin ice Roman," April warned him, but secretly she valued his openness. "Celestial Bronze is far better than your Imperial Gold."

"No, it's not. By nature Bronze is shabby; tarnished so easily and get that gross mint green color."

"Take that back," April frowned.

"Oh gods," James realized what was happening. "Let's not do this right now. We have train to catch."

"It's not over San Angelo," she said picking up Emma and the bags.

James sighed and took a bag from her. She was already carrying Emma. April gave him an odd looked and James replied with a nod to the carrier.

"Come along Cabot." A condescending tone leaked out of his voice as he walked toward their train. He didn't actually mean anything by it, but it felt right to say.

April smiled quietly to herself and whispered the sleeping Emma, "I guess he does have sense of humor." Emma stirred slightly and April felt her face flush. She didn't mean to wake her. Quickly, April followed James but was careful to make her strides as smooth as possible.

At concord B2, the duo patiently waited for their train. Despite being subterranean, the concord offered more space than James imagined. It put him at ease and released some tension in his chest. The sharp light of the concord matched the sunlight that was leaking down the staircase connecting the concord to the main hall. April pulled Emma out of her carrier and held her in her arms bouncing her slightly and softly. Emma seemed to enjoy it in her sleep. James wordlessly added the carrier to his already full hands.

There was a warm breeze drifting through the tunnel. The train was forcing stagnant air into the concord with such force it gave energy. A few people scurried out from the stairs and walked behind James and April. They seemed to be running close and on the same train.

"Here it comes," James muttered under his breath.

"Calm down," April said quietly amused, "I know. It's not like it's going to run away anytime soon."

He gave her a sideways glance and took peek at little Emma. "She okay?"

"Out like a light," April confirmed, "I bottled her and changed her before we left camp. My camp, I mean. Well, it could be technically your camp if…"

James glanced again at April. The blood seemed to drain from her face and her eyes distant. Before he could say a word, the train came to screeching halt in front of them. The sound shocked April from her apparent daze. Panic flared up in James and he acted quickly. He herded April and Emma into the train and to the furthest car to the back. A few people gave them some notice but said nothing. There were too busy to care what some seemingly teenage parents were doing in the station.

The lights in the train car were dimmer but more numerous. The seats were thankfully empty. They were minimally cushioned and a few guard rails hung from the roof of the car. James urged April into a seat and gently took Emma from her arms.

"April," he said quietly, "What's wrong?" Emma squirmed in his arms slightly, she was starting to wake and that probably scared James more.

His brunette companion still seemed dazed. James rocked Emma gently in his arms and looked around anxiously. The other cars were filing up normally and James hoped no one would move towards their car.

"Come on April," he said urgently but softly, "I need you here. What's wrong? Come on Greek, don't wimp out on me now. I was just starting to like you…"

He didn't know what he was saying but it seemed to be getting through. Color was returning to April's face and her eyes were focusing. The train jerked suddenly and James nearly lost his balance. He braced himself against a seat and held Emma a tad closer. He muttered a curse in Latin and placed himself across from April. She seemed to be regaining her own bearings and muttering to herself as well. Suddenly, she bolt upright to her feet and drew her rapier.

The skinny blade shimmered into existence and glinted in the dull light. She seemed slightly bemused but focused on standing against an invisible enemy.

"I'm so sorry," she said. She breath was shaky and strained to not panic.

"It's fine," James shook his head, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"We made a big mistake."

The train suddenly broke from the tunnel into broad daylight. At first, James paid no attention to the people who filed into the train. They were just non-descript passenger with their own complicated live. He couldn't be more wrong. For one, they had no heads. And for two, they were all standing, shuffling slowly to the rear of the train.

"No, no, no," James sighed, "Pluto's pauldrons, how did I screw up so badly?"

"It was my fault," April said quickly, "I'll fix it."

"What are they?"

The people, if they could be called people, were dressed in normal attire and despite the lack of heads, they seemed to navigate just fine.

"Acephali," April rolled out her shoulders preparing for the first waves to breach. "Headless Greek monsters. Legend says they'll steal your soul if you're grabbed by one. The lack of head is no problem for them but it's pretty unsettling. I-I wasn't careful. The people, monsters, who ran behind us, I think that was them."

"Take Emma, I'll keep them off us."

The acephali were clawing on the door separating them from April. Their fists banged forcefully on the Plexiglas ® making it spider webbed and crackled.

"Come on Soldier Boy," April chided, "I'm more than a pretty face. _Fiore_ isn't built for cutting butter."

"Are you sure you can-"

"Yeah," she cut him off, "It's my mess; I can clean it up."

A quick scan around the car and James realized he'd made a mistake too. They were trapped like mice in a corner. The city was miles behind then and countryside was all he saw. If they could get out, he wasn't confident enough in his tacking skills to find even a dirt road.

"It's both out fault," he corrected, "We have to hold this place."

Just then, the Plexiglas ® finally shattered and the acephali stumbled through the broken door en mass. The sound was what James heard first. The acephali had to communicate someway, it it was by the air exited their putrid bodies. Some produced as sharp whistle while other sounded like a gust passing from tree and one sounded like a dog passing gas. As they rose to their feet, they were met with the blade of a rather graceful dancer of death.

April plunged her bronze rapier into the chest of the closest acephali, and pulled back before it disintegrated. The fuller caught some of the yellow dust and she flicked her blade to cast it off. James shuddered to think what would happen if she used that on a mortal. Fullers had two properties, they make swords lighter and they prevented sword from getting stuck inside enemies. The shallow groove would allow blood to escape equalizing the pressure between the body and outside atmosphere. Although it seemed odd to have on a rapier, he understood why in a moment. April wasn't a classic Greek slash fighter. She was very inclined to stab with pinpoint accuracy. Three thrusts, three consecutive kills. And yet the acephali came pouring in.

She never lost her composure. April switched from controlled thrusts to long shallow cuts, just deep enough to kill but not enough to immobilize her swing. It was true Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold disintegrate monsters on contact but some monsters were stubborn and required a more fatal blow to destroy them. Five were cut down with oblique slashes before another five were destroyed by a fatal arcing pattern. The car was soon filling up with the yellow powder but not quick enough. April had been pushed back mere feet from James and Emma was beginning to show combat fatigue.

Her form was still top notch but her speed began to wane. No matter how light a blade was, it would soon become a burden on its user. James watched in mute wonder while keeping a eye on Emma. She was crying at that point or she had been and he was too shocked to notice. Mentally scolding himself, he gently rocked Emma and tried to calm her. Emma was have none of it. The bawling seemed to invigorate the acephali and they pressed harder even with their dwindling numbers.

Running out of options, he pulled out a pacifier from the bag and offered to Emma. She put up a slight fuss but soon took it gratefully. She did seem to continue frowning but it was good enough for James. He laid her down in her carrier and belted her into a seat.

He reached under another seat and found his pack. He rolled it over and unstrapped the spear on its side. Jumping to his feet, spear in hand, he thrust it towards April, missing her neck by a half a foot. He yelped in surprise as it caught an acephali she had seem to miss. It burst into dust and showered her left side. She didn't turn around to thank him. There was no time for that. James retracted his spear and played a support role, covering the gaps April had left open. She was remained untouched as the waves of acephali began to lost momentum. They began to retreat in their slow shuffle.

April was forgetting herself, she was postured to pursue. James grabbed the back of her gray jacket. He knew the urge to break rank and give chase. It was a dangerous feeling in an otherwise structured army. The Legion comes first. James wasn't upset though; she didn't know that and he couldn't blame her.

"What are you doing?" April snarled. She was still blinded by the red mist or was it technically yellow mist.

"Stop," James said firmly, "They're retreating and I don't think they're coming back."

April regarded hi with an icy stare but soon melted when Emma suddenly joined the conversation. Her cry was quickly answered with April sheathing her rapier and picking Emma up from the carrier. She clicked her teeth in frustration but did her best to console Emma. James looked on helplessly and offered a meager apology.

"I'll watch her this time," April said not looking up. "Just go and make sure they don't come back. Okay?"

"Fair enough," James sighed to release tension in his throat before darting off to the remaining monsters. There had to be at least six left. He kicked up the yellow dust as he tore through the train cars.

He found them crowding in the middle of the train, huddled together. It was almost too easy. Acephali were swarm fighters. Unless they outnumbered 10 to 1, the odds were good. James ran at them in the cramped space to try his luck. For intents and purposes, a typical spear wasn't exactly a close quarter weapon. It lacked maneuverability in that environment. That's why Legionnaires carried more than one weapon. James drove his spear through two acephali and let it drop. From his hip, he drew a knife. It was a hand span long with a small parabolic cross guard. One edge was a fine sharp edge and the other was serrated close to the cross guard. It was a multipurpose rigging knife. The blade itself had a swirled pattern. At first glance , it could be mistake for Damascus steel with the iconic alternating dark and darker colors. It was something much more dangerous.

James thrust it into the body of an acephalus before reversing grip and plunging it into the another He then threw it into the chest of an acephalus. It wasn't balanced for such a use but it hit true in short range. The last one low out a grandiose howl and charged. It was a more life a half-heart seizure towards James. He responded by toeing his spea up into the air, ctaching it but sliding the Imperial Gold tip into the monster.

He walked back to the rear of the train with care and wariness. They may have gotten all the monsters but James wasn't the type to get fooled twice. A false sense of security put them into that mess, it wasn't about to happen again. The carnage on the train was minimized to piles of monster dust. At least they had to decency to stay destroyed, James shivered when he remembered a Hyperborean Giant that had been hacked to pieces quickly reform and devour a cavalry detachment: legionnaire, horse, chariot and all. He pushed the memory from his thoughts and carried on, like a good soldier would.

April was sitting down when he arrived reading a book as if nothing happened. She'd cleaned of the residue from their earlier fight. Her free hand rested on Emma's carrier rocking it gently.

"Took you long enough," she huffed.

James' mouth was slightly agape and suddenly shut it. His clothes were still caked in dust and he shook it off with care so as not to disturb Emma.

"The train is clear," he said sitting across from her. "For real this time."

"You sure?" she asked not looking up from her book.

"Yeah, pretty."

An uncomfortable silence lapsed between them. It was a silence of shame and wounded pride.

"What happened?" James blurted out.

He could feel her ire rising as she slowly put her bok back into a bag. April regarded him with a harsh glare. "I didn't know. They got me when I wasn't looking." She didn't say it but he knew what she was underlining.

"I don't blame you, I just want to know," he replied honestly. "I don't want anything like that to happen again. We got lucky this time."

April took a breath before speaking, "One of them must have touched me when we were on the platform. The book I was reading, it was a gift from a friend, says acephali aren't dangerous unless they grab you. If you're poised to look into their empty bodies, they can steal your soul. If one touches you, it releases a chemical cocktail on the surface of your body. Your skin absorbs it and sends you into shock. While the chemical themselves aren't fatal, it can leave you debilitated for a while."

"You're wearing a jacket though." As soon as the words flew out of his eyes lowered to her exposed legs. He quickly averted them and slapped himself mentally.

April flushed with a mix of indignantcy and embarrassment. Hotness on her cheek was soon compound with a sudden lightheadedness. She couldn't feel her hands, a prickly sensation replaced normal feeling. Her breath became short and frantic. The poison was far from gone. She blacked out as she saw James running towards her.

When he eyes finally opened, he mouth was dry. The interior lights were dim and the window across reflected only reflected the inside with a black background interrupted by a few lights and some brave stars. She checked the watch on her left arm but found it pinned against something. She glanced towards it and realized she was leaning on something, someone who was reclined slightly to accommodate her. He seemed quiet and still. She glanced to her right and Emma was quiet in her carrier as well.

April shifted uncomfortably. She was covered in a cold sweat. It stuck to her skin and chilled her. Basic human physiology came into mind. Her body shut down to slow the spread of what poison remained. Her body worked overtime to expel the poison, via sweating. That was better than… She realized she wasn't wearing her grey jacket. She couldn't have… A brief sniff of her own clothes mortified her. She did. Her body expelled the poison in one the fastest ways possible, vomiting.

She huffed and tried to straighten up but her body was weak. While her mind was asleep, it had been fighting non-stop. James shifted suddenly.

"Hey," he whispered, "You awake?"

"Mmm," April mustered. She was almost to tried to barb. She'd give James a pass this one time.

"Cold?"

"Mmmhmm."

Before she knew it, she had a new jack draped over her. It wasn't much bigger than hers but it was certainly warmer. She pulled it tight and rested her against James.

"Usually," she croaked before letting sleep take her again, "Guys ask for my number before I _sleep_ with them." She yawned, "I'm just a sucker for guys in uniform." She drifted off as quickly as she came to. Except, this time she was far more content.

James smirked to himself. He wasn't a soldier, not by a long shot, but the praise filled something he didn't know he was missing.

* * *

**A/N: So so so so, I finally churned this out late but it's out and I like it. It's a shorter chapter but it feels well flowing. R&R if you please. I love writing and I assume you love reading, let's make this work.**


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